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Yannick also said the device has a potential second use - to stop terror attacks like the one on London Bridge last year, where a terrorist drove down a pavement, mowing down pedestrians.

If Catclaws had been installed, the tyres would have blown meaning the vehicle could not have been driven as fast, he explained.

“You can’t reach high speed with tyres which are all blown out," he added.

The more common problem of pavement parking is growing, Yannick said.

The device punctures tyres when a vehicle is driven over it

“The rise of internet shopping means we hear complaints from many people about delivery drivers – couriers and supermarket delivery vans – who would rather pull up onto the pavement to make deliveries than risk the anger of drivers stuck behind them.

“It’s a new explosion that has brought with it a whole new range of problems.”

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But it’s not just delivery drivers, our impatient society is also at fault, explains Yannick. “Driving on pavements has become socially acceptable - people don’t think anything of it,” he said.

Yannick says the response to his prototype has been generally positive and he challenges any nay-sayers.

The device is triggered when a car drives over it but a pedestrian, bicycle or mobility scooter is not heavy enough

“We’ve shown the principle works. It wouldn’t be appropriate to put them everywhere. I’d be interested to hear their objections.

"It’s illegal to drive on the pavement, there’s no excuse to do it. So if you’re not breaking the law your tyres are safe.

“Like I said, 43 people were killed last year and wheelchair users, people with push chairs and those who use mobility scooters will tell you, it’s an anti-social crime as well as a potentially fatal one.”